Sated Desire
by Nightmare Sired Muse
Summary: Challenge Fic! A beautiful, divine, and powerful familiar was what Louise had always desired, and what she wished for on the day of the springtime familiar summoning. Little did she know that she would receive exactly what she had always wanted, and so much more. What will she do when she summons the Dog-Daiyoukai Sesshomaru, when she summons Killing Perfection? Harem AU
1. Gateway to a new world

**This story is based off of a challenge by NaruAndHarrHaremFan. Go checkout his stories and challenges, both are very entertaining. **

**Warnings: There will be changes to Inuyasha canon and more than likely to that of the FoZ/ZnT canon as well (the bonding of familiars will be the first change). If you don't like reading about powerful characters then you should turn back now - just know, that there will be an increase in power of those in the FoZ world. Otherwise this story might get boring.**

**As is in canon Sesshomaru has become more compassionate from his time around Rin. Since in this story the struggle against Naraku took years longer than canon, Sesshomaru is more understanding and caring than canon thanks to Rin. However, he will still be the same Sesshomaru we all know and love, and he certainly will not take someone trying to push him around, no matter the person. **

**If anyone is aware of how to use watashi in English (its equivalent) I'd like to hear it so I can keep closer to Sesshomaru's character.**

**Tags: Possible (more than likely) harem, lemons, no known bashing (might change later on), character death, and other things I can't think of at the moment.**

**Finally, I'd like to thank Hanabi's Biggest Fan for beta'ing. Thanks man, you've been a huge help. If any of you out there want to read a great Naruto fic, go check his out.**

"Do you not sense its presence, Jaken?"

"No, Sesshomaru-sama. I neither see, nor sense what it is you speak of. Just another sign of your greatness, I'm sure My Lord."

The man known as Sesshomaru spared his small traveling companion an emotionless glance. The short humanoid creature that stood at his side, the top of its head reaching just below his knees, had large dull-yellow eyes with needle-thin black slits for retinae, and teal green skin that matched the mud-brown hakama he wore. The lips of its beak-like mouth thinned as the kappa-demon glanced expectantly around the deserted dirt road he and his master stood upon, peering into the thick forest that grew on both sides of them in search of that which had brought them to a stop. Pulling his sharp, golden amber eyes away from his self-appointed servant, Sesshomaru gazed at the cause of their unplanned stop.

Standing just an arm's length away from his person, unnoticed by Jaken, was what appeared to be a portal. Oval in shape, it stood only a few inches taller than Sesshomaru's height at 6'1", and was a glowing, luminescent green. With his piercing eyes cutting back and forth to the forest encompassing them, Sesshomaru reached out with his senses attempting to locate the source behind the portal's appearance. Finding nothing more than a few weak demons and wild animals in the surrounding area, he turned his focus back the object of his curiosity.

"What is it that you see, my lord?" questioned Jaken as he shifted excitedly in place, peering up at his master, awe and admiration clear in his abnormal, bulging eyes. The man standing before him was as opposite to himself as one could be.

Sesshomaru's handsome, angular features were encompassed by knee-length silver hair, his pointy elf-like ears exposed for all to see. Double magenta stripes were displayed across both his cheeks, with matching marks atop each of his eyelids. Along with the shades of magenta upon his visage, was a Prussian blue crescent moon on his forehead. Atop his red and white kimono he wore a cuirass and spiked pauldron that covered his left shoulder, whereas upon his left shoulder hung a long, fluffy, white object reminiscent of a boa that he always seemed to be running a hand through absentmindedly. Upon his left hip he wore two swords held in place by a long flowing yellow and blue sash that also served to hold his solid white sashinuki hakama in place.

Tall and lean-built as he was, he exuded an aura that betrayed his aristocratic upbringing and his desire to live up to and surpass his father, Inu no Taisho. "His aura had been one of the reasons Jaken had vowed to serve the dog Daiyoukai until his dying day, second only to the fact that Sesshomaru had been the one to save him from what would have been the end of him at the hands of a demon." Since that day Jaken had always been by his master's side, and he had no plans to leave it.

"It appears to be some form of gateway, placed here specifically for me to discover… The question is why? What purpose does it serve?" Reaching out Sesshomaru ran a claw-tipped finger down the gateway's surface earning a resounding musical ringing, but no form of resistance against his touch. "I fail to sense any ill intent from it." he mused aloud.

"Surely those who placed it here cannot be fool enough to believe you would knowingly enter such an obvious trap!" Jaken bristled, glaring accusingly at where his master had seemingly run his hand through nothing but air.

"I'm going." Sesshomaru stated using the same stoic tone for which he was known.

"W-what?" Jaken exclaimed, jumping backward to better look up at the dog-Daiyoukai. "But Lord Sesshomaru, you can't! What if this is a ploy by those who wish to steal the Shikon Jewel from you!"

"Jaken, do you dare to tell me what I can or cannot do?" he asked without removing his attention from the gateway.

Said Kappa paled, turning a lighter shade of green as the hint of steel in his master's voice washed over him like a bucket of ice water. "N-no, My Lord – n-never would I utter such blasphemous untruths-"

"Then are you, perhaps, suggesting that I am so helpless that I cannot take care of myself? That I am incapable of protecting what has been left in my care?" Turning his head a fraction of an inch, his hand tightening slightly in the snow colored fur draped over his shoulder, Sesshomaru caught Jaken's large eyes with his own. "Are you implying that I'm weak?"

"Never, Lord Sessho-" Jaken's groveling was cut short by the swift blow delivered to the back of his skull by Sesshomaru, sending him flying face first to the dirt road.

"The one who gave birth to this ingress is quite powerful. I wish to see what it is they would have do with me."

"My Lord," Jaken began, hacking up saliva-soaked dirt as he rose to his feet, "if I might be so bold, I feel that this is a most unwise course of action." Pausing, the Kappa grimaced, looking stricken as painful memories assaulted him. Though Sesshomaru continued to study the portal he listened intently, waiting for his cowardly servant to voice what it was that was plaguing him so.

Seconds passed at the same speed as hours. Ever so slowly Jaken gained a look of grim determination, his gaze filled with hastily-made, but iron-willed resolve. "My Lord, I feel as though you have been taking unnecessary, foolhardy risks since Lady Rin's... sacrifice. Surely, My Lord, you see how unwise this-"

"Hold your tongue, Jaken, if you wish to keep it." This time when he spoke there was no emotion to be heard, no slight touch of amusement or hate, only the slow, dead feeling tone Jaken knew to mean his master was experiencing the turmoil he had suffered through in silence for years.

"Y-yes, Sesshomaru-sama." Jaken stammered, cowed by his master's lack of visible anger.

"We have witnessed multiple changings of the seasons since Rin's act of selflessness. I have been entrusted with guarding her legacy, A task I _will_ see to for all of eternity."

_Your devotion is admirable, my lord. Though I wonder sometimes if you would not prefer to join Lady Rin..._ Jaken mused, his eyes fixed on a pebble at Sesshomaru's booted feet.

"You will not be able to join me where I'm going, Jaken. In my absence you will go to my brother, the new ruler of the west lands, and see over the protection of my niece and nephew. You will serve Inuyasha as you have me all these years. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama. I'm quite excited to see how Lady Kagome has taken to the bonding of mates, and how the change will have affected her already impressive miko abilities. I'm sure that with Inuyasha's ascension into full demon-hood, and with a mother as gifted as theirs, the twins will grow to be fine and respectable Lord and Lady."

"Agreed. Though we have yet to meet them, they possess all the requirements to become forces with which to be reckoned."

"My Lord?"

"Yes, Jaken?"

"Why is it that I may not accompany you?"

"You can't see the portal, nor would you be able to touch or travel through it. It was created for me and me alone." he answered knowingly. He had yet to turn his gaze away from the gateway, peering at it with eyes void of emotion.

Jaken wrung his hands nervously, shuffling anxiously from side-to-side. "How do you know you will be able to come back? What if it is like the entrance to your father's grave, and certain requirements must first be met to travel back and forth?"

"If there's a way in, there will always be a way out." Sesshomaru stated matter-of-factly. "I'd like to witness the force great enough to restrain my will."

And with those parting words Sesshomaru stepped into the portal – glowing green tendrils snaked around and entwined his body, caressing him like a lover – disappearing from Jaken's sight.

"Safe journey, my lord."

**AN: The details behind Rin's 'sacrifice' will be revealed at a later time. Before anyone says it, no she could not be saved by the Tenseiga. **

**So I hope you liked this. I created it because I can't find enough Sesshomaru, or FoZ/ZnT fics. If you liked this leave a review and I'll be more than willing to continue this. Future chapter will be longer.**

**Daiyoukai = Greater Demon**


	2. Descent into Reascent

**AN: So if anyone is wondering this story will take parts from the ZnT/FoZ anime and light-novels and throw both on their heads. I'm not one to simply follow canon. It's not fun, is completely unoriginal, and has been beaten to death. **

**A question was raised about Sesshomaru****'****s speech patterns and all I****'****d like to say is that as it says on the Inuyasha wiki****,**** Sesshomaru did speak like Inuyasha (in a rough manner) only really speaking properly when talking about himself or his father. Also, Sesshomaru will be a bit more like he was in the manga early on, in that at times he will smile and be a bit playful with both enemies and those he****'****s close to. **

**Now a question for all of you… What does Sesshomaru eat? I've looked everywhere and have found nothing. It doesn't really pertain to the storyline it's just something I want to know.**

**Finally a big thank you to Hanabi's Biggest Fan. Thank you for all the help!**

* * *

A continuous burning and slicing sensation across the back of his left hand and a noticeable lack of weight on his hip were the first things Sesshomaru noticed upon exiting the portal. After stepping into the gentle embrace of the gateway, leaving behind his servant Jaken, Sesshomaru had expected any number of occurrences to greet him inside. From falling into a deep, spiraling vortex that would lead him to the portal's creator, to a one-way trip to the underworld where all those he had ended would be waiting to take their revenge against him, many a scenario had played through his mind—all of which he was prepared for and willing to meet with force if need be. What he hadn't been expecting however, was to appear amongst a gathering of damp, loosely formed clouds high above the earth, or for his prized blades, Tenseiga and Bakusaiga, to be missing from his person, and certainly not for a wound that seemed to be feeding on his demonic-energies to be burned into the back of his hand.

His hand grasped at the jewel hidden beneath his kimono, assuring himself that _her_ legacy had not been lost because of his 'unnecessary' and 'foolhardy' risks. Feeling its almost unnoticeable weight pressed against his chest, nothing separating the smooth surface of the rounded stone from his moonbeam-shaded skin, Sesshomaru breathed out in sigh of relief for the first time in his over 500 years of existence.

Having confirmed the jewel's presence Sesshomaru took in his surroundings, uncaring that he was rapidly falling toward the earth below.

Off in the distance he could see a large castle surrounded by two great walls. One, the inner wall, was in the shape of a pentagon, a tower built into it at each of the five points. The second, and by far the greater of the two in size, was circular in shape and unlike the previous wall, which aside from guarding the castle within its perimeter was empty, this wall housed a city of buildings, all of which were far greater in their construction than any of those in the villages and towns the mortals Sesshomaru had ever come across possessed.

Dragging his gaze from the largest city he had ever witnessed, Sesshomaru inspected the ground below, ready for more of the unexpected to greet him, and greet him it did.

Once more he laid his eyes upon a pentagon, this time however, it wasn't a wall crafted into the shape, but six individual groupings of people, the sixth of which was the smallest, composed of only three persons, located in the center of all the others. At the head of the pentagon was a gathering of what looked to be seventeen-year-olds in black cloaks and clothing that wasn't all that different from what Kagome had worn the first time Sesshomaru had met her. Around them were a gathering of animals that Sesshomaru could see, even from high above with his enhanced sight, gazing up at their human companions with the same look of admiration that Jaken used when leering at him.

Below the head of the pentagon, to the right and left, were what appeared to be more individuals dressed the same as the first grouping, only wearing cloaks of a different shade than the first. One a gathering of brown, the other a sea of purple. Whereas the purple group had animals amongst their number like the first gathering, the brown cloaks had none, and seemed to hold the youngest of those gathered.

Finally turning his sight on the last two groups, his hair whipping wildly around him as he sped toward the earth, he found them to be the groups with the largest number of individuals. Unlike the other groupings, the final two, located at the base of the pentagon, were made up of those of varying ages. From small children who would have been unable to stand without their parent's aid, to those who could not stand without the staves of intricately carvedwood that supported their weight – all age groups were represented. Another difference between these groups and the others were their states of dress. The first three had been dressed in immaculate clothing that spoke of care and money. The latter on the other hand, wore clothing that showed use – not to the same point as the unbathed and uncaring villagers one so often encountered from Sesshomaru's lands, these people were dressed as good as he was compared to them – a clear sign that these were the peasants of these lands.

With more than half of the distance from where he exited the portal behind him, Sesshomaru took in the last three figures. Two of the three were grown men, one a balding, unremarkable looking, middle aged man, the other a wizened, severely aged gentleman, whom possessed both hair and a beard that was as long as Sesshomaru's own silver locks. Both wore long, flowing, black robes that dragged on the ground and wielded finely crafted staves. The younger of the two men raised his, clearing away the cloud of smoke that had settled around the three, marring his view of the third and easily smallest member of their group.

Her long and wavy strawberry-blonde hair was pulled at by the gentle breeze at her back. Reddish-brown eyes danced in a mixture of fear and heartbreaking disappointment as she watched the smoke dissipate leaving them with a clear view of the wild flowers spotted across the grassy, gentle rolling hills she and the spectators occupied. Her small, lithe frame seemed to sink in on itself when she saw nothing was hidden within the mist, a brilliant flush coloring her flawless alabaster skin.

It was as she turned to the two men, tears threating to break the rim of her expressive eyes, that Sesshomaru came to the realization that she – this small _child_ – was the one responsible for creating the portal that had brought him here.

How was it possible for a sorceress – he knew what she and the majority of the gathered were by the almost overwhelming scent of mana filling the air – as young as the girl below him was, to be as gifted in the arcane arts as to be able to conjure a portal for one as powerful as he? She appeared to look as if she had yet to witness eleven summers and winters pass, and still, she looked disappointed with her accomplishment - in her ability to summon _him_.

Did she not know she had succeeded in calling him, Sesshomaru, first born son of Inu no Taisho, former lord of the west lands – a title he had passed on to his brother willingly – and guardian of the Shikon Jewel, to her – and what was her purpose in attempting to do so in the first place? Was she aware he held the jewel and had that been her motivation in calling him? Had he willingly and somewhat knowingly stepped into a trap?

But more important than the numerous questions blurring through his brilliant mind was why the wisp of a girl reminded him of so strongly of Rin?

"P-professor Colbert," stammered the roseate girl, her hands clasping a long, thin piece of polished wood nervously to her nonexistent chest. "I can complete the ritual. I... I just need a second chance-"

She was cut off by the balding man's calm voice, his features set in a firm, but apologetic look that made her flinch before ducking her head in defeat.

"I'm sorry, Miss Vallière, but as you very well know, each student has but one chance at summoning their familiar on this day. It has been so since the tradition of summoning one's familiar started, and as much as I'd like to help you out, we can't very well change things now. You may attempt the ritual again tomorrow..." The man now identified as Colbert, laid his calloused hand atop her tiny shoulder, trying and failing to bestow some small comfort onto her.

"Tell you what," he whispered to the watery eyed girl as raucous laughter and jeering calls reached their ears. From the content of those words it was clear that all were aware of the pinkette's failure. "Come see me first thing in the morning. We'll go over the incantation, together, before you attempt the ritual a second time."

The young girl gave a small jerk of her head, aiding the wind in whipping her wavy tresses more wildly around her.

Both men could see the sorrow in her cinnamon colored eyes, but it was only the older of the two, Old Osmond, who knew just how deep her disappointment ran. Louise Françoise le Blanc de La Vallière was the third born daughter of the La Vallière family, and considered by many (including most of her family) as a failure at being a noble. For you see Louise had never once in all her sixteen years of life cast a single spell correctly. A feat that had earned her the moniker _Zero_. It didn't help the young girl any when each failed attempt at using magic, whether it be element manipulation, alchemy, levitation, or flying, all ended with large, earth-rattling explosions.

Her family was well known for their powerful and talented mages. Both her father, the Duke of La Vallière, and her mother, Karin, Duchess of La Vallière, were both square class mages, well known for their exploits in the last war. Her sisters, Eléonore de La Vallière and Cattleya de La Fontaine, were both beautiful and powerful triangle mages. The latter of the two reached such a level of control over her magic despite having never left her home because of an illness that often times kept her bedridden.

It was quite easy for anyone who took the time to look past the proud, almost arrogant persona the tiny girl built up around herself in order to protect herself from others to see just how fragile she truly was. With a family well known for their high political standing, close affiliation with the royal family, and their magical prowess, she would have been hard pressed to make true friends who didn't have some kind of ulterior motive hidden up their sleeve even if she was normal. But with her failure to use the most simple of spells it was unlikely she would have any type of political pull in the future, and with her being spoken for by the captain of Tristain's Griffin Knights, the Viscount of Wardes, many saw no reason to befriend her. As well most of the male students were too intimidated by the thought of her fiancé, a man known for his possessiveness, to approach her.

Old Osmond parted his dry, chapped lips, wishing to give her a few comforting and encouraging words, but was stopped from uttering a single syllable by the deafening silence that had washed over the proceedings. Looking to his students and the commoners who were attending the Springtime Familiar Summoning, he found them all staring to the sky above. Following their line of sight, he found himself stunned by what he saw.

Falling toward them was a figure unlike any other he had ever encountered in his one-hundred years of existence. His sharp, ancient eyes drank in the intruder's appearance, instantly and instinctually knowing the man was dangerous. He knew that they were in the presence of a killer.

Already shifting into a combat ready stance, his staff held across his chest, he began chanting the incantation to a wind based binding spell, but was brought to a stop when he caught sight of the falling man's ears. "ELF!" He bellowed, starting a chant that would lead to a much deadlier spell in lieu of the binding one he had initially chosen.

Sesshomaru sensed more than saw the tide of terror that ran through the gathered crowds, the familiar scent of fear mixing with that of the gathered creatures, and the mana that hung in the air. The shrieks and cries of those watching crashed relentlessly against his sensitive ears. And still, even with the threat of hundreds of frightened mana-users, his gaze never wavered from his target. The girl who looked nothing like Rin yet was still capable of reminding him of his first and only mate.

A melody of words that he knew to hold power reached his pointed ears as he bore down on the one who had summoned him, her reddish-brown gaze full of awe-tinged fear. Lazily he flicked his wrist forming a long yellow-green whip from the tip of his finger that drew the eyes of all the gathered, the only exception being the one who summoned him. Landing softly only a few feet away from her – the watching, panicking masses were in awe of how his feet never made a single sound upon coming into contact with the ground – he flicked his wrist once more, the tip of the poisonous whip snaking toward the old man at blurring speeds, piercing the top of his expertly crafted staff like a thread through the eye of a needle, wrenching it from Osmond's surprisingly steel-like grasp.

Before the old man could gasp or make his surprise known in any way, the whip had done the same to the staff Colbert had wielded since his time as a captain in the army. Any thought of taking back their foci died as the sturdy wood of their staves started to decay and disintegrate around the glowing whip, slowly dissolving into black flaked ash that faded away into nothingness on the wind.

With the only two present that he deemed capable of being a threat unarmed, Sesshomaru made for the small girl, moving across the grassy plain with an otherworldly grace that drew a deep shuddering breath from his little summoner. Pools of liquid gold bore into wide, inquisitive eyes, her fear giving way to her need to know who the man before her was. She _had_ to know what the being before her was.

Sesshomaru stopped with no more than an inch of separation between them. The crowds ceased all movement and talking, afraid any sudden action would lead to the girl's death or a fate far worse.

His already impressive stature looked even more so as he towered over the tiny girl, making her height of 5 feet look all the more diminutive.

Placing the tip of one his deadly claws against the bottom of her dainty chin, Sesshomaru spoke in a voice like silk-laced steel that carried to every person involved in the human-formed pentagon. "What was your purpose in summoning me, sorceress?" He ignored the twin cries of 'Louise' and the sound of three sets of feet speeding across the earth toward the now identified girl, waiting for her answer.

Louise was frozen where she stood, held captive by the mystifying color of the handsome stranger's beautiful eyes. Her breathing had become ragged by the close proximity of the attractive man, the heat radiating from his body washing over her, heating her to her core. Her heart felt like it would rip itself from her chest when he touched her.

Never before had anyone touched her in such an intimate way. Her father had always been distant in every sense of the word, far too concerned with furthering his already high standing in the queendom to pay her attention. She couldn't remember ever sharing a hug with the Duke… her father, and the only time he spoke to her was to sling insults at her during meals.

And there was absolutely no contact with boys, not that she minded. Being left alone with only three others you could call friends let you truly see those around you. She could see through all of the fake people who always wanted something from her, whether it be getting in good with the princess' childhood friend, or getting under her skirt. She saw the way they looked at her, girls with unrestrained contempt, the boys with undisguised lust. The latter of the two was far worse than the prior as the jealous, hate-filled glares didn't matter as long as she had Kirche, Montmorency, Tabitha, and Cattleya supporting her. Though the male population were kept at bay by the thought of her fiancé, making her happy for the first time since she was old enough to truly understand that her father had signed her away more than ten years ago.

So for one who had rarely been touched by others, never by someone of the opposite sex, the feel of his surprisingly gentle touch left her experiencing a typhoon of emotions with which she had no way of dealing. Her snow-colored cheeks and dainty neck took on the same shade as freshly-crushed strawberries and her stomach danced and squirmed as his warm, silky voice shot through her legs, weakening them to the point they threatened to give under her feather-light weight.

"Answer me, girl!" he ordered in the same smooth tone that had affected her so strongly before, jarring her from her musing.

Louise blinked owlishly up at the imposing figure. "W-what?"

"Your purpose," he answered, noting that two more sets of footfalls had joined the first three, both heavier and faster than those of their human companions. "Why did you summon me to this place?"

"Summon you?" she repeated, her childlike eyes going wide. "I-I attempted to summon my familiar, but I... I failed." Forcing herself to swallow down the lump that appeared in her throat at admitting her failure, Louise pressed on. "I couldn't have summoned you, such a thing is impossible!" With the sudden contact she shared with the sliver haired stranger and his outlandish accusation, Louise had forgotten the last traces of fear that had been left over from when she had first set eyes on him.

"Am I to also believe you had nothing to do with this as well?" Sesshomaru slowly raised his left hand, exposing the strange form of calligraphy seared into his flesh.

Louise, along with both disarmed men, gasped loudly at the glowing, pulsing runes etched below his knuckles. Whipping her head around wildly, smacking him in the stomach with her long, flowing hair, and uncaring that she had nicked her chin on his clawed finger, Louise looked to Colbert and Osmond imploringly.

"This can't be right, can it?" she asked, the worry in her voice carrying to all of the stunned spectators. What was happening wasn't lost on any of them, including the commoners who had never experienced a summoning themselves.

_She knew not what she was doing, that much is clear._ Sesshomaru thought, flicking the blood from his finger as the footfalls of those who had been coming to the girl's aid slid to a sudden halt. He assumed their thoughts were in the same place as the girl's and all those listening in. _These markings had better not be__…_

"Amazing!" Having regained his composure, Colbert quickly crossed the distance between them, his eyes trained intently on the familiar-looking runes. "I could swear by the founder, I've seen those markings befor-"

Both Colbert's words and stride were brought to a sudden stop by the loud, painful sounding crack from Sesshomaru's hand as he flexed it in warning. The balding man sent the tall demon a sheepish, yet untrusting look with eyes that Sesshomaru knew well. They were the eyes of a man who had spilled blood, both guilty and innocent.

"Louise," spoke old Osmond, the strain he was feeling was poorly hidden by his aged voice, "why don't you come over here-"

"Silence mortal!" Sesshomaru ordered, a hint of anger slipping into his tone that sent chills down the spines of Colbert and Osmond. "The girl _will_ answer my inquiry!"

Turning away from the stricken men, Louise saw that Kirche, Montmorency, and Tabitha, accompanied by their new summoned familiars, had covered over half the distance between her and the rest of the second year class, before coming to a stop to stare worriedly at her and the man who was standing almost flush with her.

She had to fight the need to roll her eyes when she saw Kirche, the promiscuous one of their group, fighting herself to keep from trailing her eyes over the handsome, otherworldly man.

_Not that I can blame her__,_ she mused as she met his expectant, golden eyes. _I get the same feeling from him that I did when Cattleya used to tell me and the princess stories of the avenging angels who had fallen from grace__._

"It's the mark of a familiar. A sign that a mage has summoned their destined, life-long familiar." She answered.

Sesshomaru glared down at the small girl. "I am no one's pet!" he hissed, impressed when she flinched but showed no other signs of fear. "And what of the mark, why does it attempt to drain me of my demonic energies?"

"It's to make sure any creature summoned will comply with, and obey their summoner and master. It will continue to drain you of power until we complete the familiar contract," she finished, blushing prettily for reasons unknown to him.

"And if I simply kill you? What of your contract then?"

Paying the gasps from her friends no mind, Louise fixed him with a serious look. "Then you die a slow, painful death. Like it or not, we are bound to each other. If I die, you die!"

While the intimidating man was unlike any person she had ever met before, Louise was no stranger to others trying to push her around. And while she held no doubt that he would kill her if it meant his freedom, she was counting on his sense of self-preservation to keep them both alive.

Sesshomaru knew at once she wasn't lying. His life, as loath as he was to admit it, was truly tethered to hers?

"And after the contract is completed... What if I kill you after? Then what will become of me?"

Louise's mouth dried at the whispered questions. "T-then you would be free to do as you please." She didn't know why, but deep down something was telling her that to lie to this man would result in her death. She didn't dare try and prove the voice wrong.

Sesshomaru nodded as if he had expected as much but said nothing as he continued to gaze searchingly into her orbs of cinnamon liquid.

Here was a girl who not only had the power to summon him, but if her words were to be believed, and he did for he knew she had not lied to him once, they were destined to be bound to one another. He could feel the power in her slumbering, waiting to be awoken, calling out to be harnessed and bent to her will. It was the type of power that could possibly be used to someday find a solution to the constant threat that was the Shikon jewel. But first it would have to be tamed and molded into what he knew it would someday be.

Coming to a decision, Sesshomaru went to give her the go-ahead but was stopped by the bearded man clearing his throat.

"Excuse me!" Sesshomaru leveled his gaze on him, unnerving the man with its intensity, but failed to deter him or his curiosity. "I've had the honor of reading a great deal of tomes on the elven race, but not only are your features different than what is described, you spoke of some type of energy. Did you by chance mean your elven magic?"

"No… I am not of this race of _elves_ of which you continue to speak."

Old Osmond stroked his beard, a sign of his growing concerns. The man before them wasn't an elf, but was obviously not a human either. Could he have been one of the rhyme dragons thought to have died out long ago, or some type of half-breed? And what of the glowing whip he had used to disarm him and Colbert? It was clear he could wield some form of magic, making him a noble. What did this mean for them all? What did the man intend to do to his students, starting with the young La Vallière?

"If you're neither human nor elf, then what are you?" Louise questioned, interjecting herself back into the conversation.

It was as he answered that Sesshomaru realized he was speaking in a tongue he had never before known. He knew he could switch back and forth between his original language and this new one, but what had prompted the change in the first place? Was it an effect of crossing the portal?

"I am the first born son of Inu no Taisho, and former ruler of the west lands, Sesshomaru the Daiyoukai!" he answered proudly, slipping back into his native tongue toward the end of his introduction.

"Dai… youkai?" Louise tested the word out, looking to him questioningly.

"In your tongue, I am what you call a higher or greater demon."

Louise's already pale skin turned more so at Sesshomaru's announcement. Her sister's stories hadn't only told of those who had descended from the heavens. Though Cattleya never went into any details about those who opposed the angels, there was no need to. She, along with Princess Henrietta, had no problem finding tomes depicting the tales of old and the creatures who roamed the night, unleashing unspeakable horrors upon innocents too weak to fight against them. Was it truly possible she had unleashed a creature upon the lands of Tristain unlike had been seen since before the time of the founder?

"T-that's not possible!" Louise said disbelievingly. "You're too… You're not ugly!" she pointed out, blushing not for the first time since his arrival.

"When one assumes their knowledge is flawless, they invite themselves to look a fool." Sesshomaru replied sagely, in a bored, detached tone. "Are we to complete the contract or not?"

A look of hesitance, and to a lesser extent disgust, crossed Louise's face. It was likely the _demon_ would kill her as soon as the contract took, taking his freedom along with her life's blood.

There was no way they could fight such a being and live, let alone win. Perhaps if they were all to stand as one and attack him without giving him time to fight back they would stand a chance, but the only ones who were capable of fighting and possessed a foci were untrained and unprepared students. Old Osmond or even Professor Colbert might stand a chance against him one-on-one, after all both were highly trained square class mages, but had been caught off-guard – unsuspecting of Sesshomaru's abilities, and had lost their staves as a result.

If she was lucky he'd make her death quick, leaving her friends, Old Osmond and Professor Colbert alone. And if not… She knew of the horrors humans could inflict upon each other. How terrible would their fate be at the hands of a living, breathing monster?

Without pausing to answer him she started the chant she had practiced for hours the night before.

"_My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière_."

Gut wrenching fear washed through her tiny frame. In a few short moments she and all of her friends could be dead. Murdered at the hands of the man who was to be her first kiss.

"_Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers; bless this__…__proud being and make him my familiar._"

Sliding a trembling hand into the fur hanging from his shoulder, the other grasping the pauldron protecting the other, Louise gave a slight tug knowing it wouldn't be enough to pull the demon down to her. Taking the hint, Sesshomaru lowered himself until his nose threatened to brush against the pink faced girl's, capturing her eyes with his own as he waited for her to finish the ritual.

_At least the demon you__'__re going to share your first kiss with, and that is going to kill you seconds later, is the most beautiful man you__'__ve ever seen._ Louise thought as she crushed her lips recklessly against her demon servant's. Her inexperience and haste serving to cause their teeth to clash painfully against each other, cutting her pillow-like lips on his long canines.

Breathlessly, Louise slowly pulled away, surprised with herself when she felt disappointment at the loss of contact. Both his perfectly sculpted lips and her slightly swollen ones were covered in her scarlet blood. Before she or anyone else could say anything or react, Sesshomaru reached out and ran his finger over her small lips, ridding them of the crimson liquid that robbed the world of their cherryblossom shade.

"You and the power hidden within you interest me. For the time being, I will protect you against any and all who wish you harm." he said surprising Louise and all those she had forgotten about around her. "But do not mistake my actions, for I am not a pet, nor your servant. I am here to help guide you in unlocking the moon sized power you possess, and to shield you from those who will want to control it and you."

As he finished speaking the pain that had plagued his hand shot through the rest of his body. Too great was his pride to release something as weak as a cry of pain. Louise and the others watched as the self-proclaimed high-demon started to shake and exude a scalding steam from his body that hung on the air around him.

Soon his trembling stopped and the steam that had gathered, creating a heavy fog died away revealing Sesshomaru to look as he had when he first arrived. Louise stepped forward, having taken a few backward to keep the steam from burning her, the question of whether or not he was alright on the tip of her tongue, when suddenly the air was filled with a high pitched scream that brought them all except Sesshomaru to their knees.

With hands pressed firmly to her ears, Louise watched as a jewel of some sort burst from inside Sesshomaru's strange clothing and high into the air, the demon close behind. Reaching the apex of its ascent the jewel came to a stop, suspended high above them all. Sesshomaru was only inches away when the jewel suddenly shattered, the pieces flying off at speeds that were hard even for his enhanced sight to catch.

Sesshomaru only had seconds to act when the jewel broke for the second time. Spinning as fast as he could he created a poison whip on each hand; swinging out with them both at the same time he used the part of his body that always drew the eyes of those he met, his Mokomoko, to capture as many shards as possible. Knowing as he did so that it would be impossible to catch them all. That the hunt for the shards was to be renewed – that he had failed Rin.

The scream that had ripped through the air and tore at their eardrums died away, allowing those still back on land to rise shakily to their feet, only for a new scream to fill the former's place. Louise watched as her newly summoned familiar screamed his agony-filled, heartbreaking rage to the heavens.

"Demon or not, on this day, I summoned an avenging angel," she whispered, clutching painfully at her chest.

* * *

**AN: That's it for this chapter. How was it? Did you love it? Did you hate- You know what, if you didn't like it, please keep it to yourself. As you can see there have already been changes made to FoZ/ZnT canon (such as the city and the involvement of the commoners). I don't really have anything else to say, besides that reviews are very much appreciated even if they're simple one word reviews. See ya next time. **


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